Fun Fact
Parthenocarpic figs: In this botanical secret agent mission, these figs bypass the wasp entirely, growing sweet fruit solo without needing any insect partner's help!
Chapter 1
The ultimate botanical secret agent mission
Chapter 2
The subterranean romance and escape room
Chapter 3
A global partnership that shaped human history
Ch 1 · The ultimate botanical secret agent mission
misslily The Fig Wasp Mission
Squeeze through the tiny door, leave your wings behind, save the secret garden!
misslily Inside the syconium, the wasp lays eggs in short-styled flowers while her pollen fertilizes long-styled flowers to produce
Fun Fact
Wasp digestion: The enzyme ficin inside figs breaks down the trapped wasp corpse completely, leaving only nutrient-rich protein and crunchy seeds behind.
Glossary
ostiole (noun)
A small pore or opening in a plant, fruit, or fungal structure. Female wasps shed their wings and antennae while squeezing through this narrow opening to fertilize internal flowers.
A small pore or opening in a plant, fruit, or fungal structure. Female wasps shed their wings and antennae while squeezing through this narrow opening to fertilize internal flowers.
Quiz
Which type of fig is commonly grown in home gardens and does not require wasps for pollination?
Quiz
What is the name of the tiny, tight opening through which a female wasp enters a fig?
Quiz
What anatomical parts does a female fig wasp usually lose when squeezing into a fig?
Quiz
What is the scientific term for the hollow, fleshy vessel of the fig that contains the flowers?